Since its inception on Valentine's Day 1978, Charlie's Foreign Car Service has grown to become an award-winning cornerstone of the downtown Encinitas business district. Encinitas native Charlie Sougias turned his passion for foreign cars into a career soon after graduating from San Dieguito High School, where he was the auto mechanic of choice for several of his teachers. At age 20, he opened Charlie's Foreign Car Service on the corner of H and Second streets, formerly Vern Painter's Garage.

Charlie's commitment to excellence and personalized customer service earned him a loyal customer base that grew steadily, and led to his first expansion in 1988. Charlie and his wife Shelly, who began assisting with daily operations, purchased property a few blocks north of the original location and built a state-of-the-art 13,000-square-foot repair facility. According to Charlie, "It was a huge commitment, and it set us back financially, but we wanted to invest in the future of downtown."